Propulsion of ships.



No. 69!,3l4. P'atenied lan; 14, I902. F. C. HOMER. PROPULSION 0F sums.

(Application filed Oct. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

I x I! II I I 1// l/l/ ll! 1 /////////////l 6? Q In 7 r EiJOIIZEr 1/ Ill/ll 1/ r /A// UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC CHARLES HOMER, OF STOKE-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND.

- PROPULSION OF SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,314, dated January 14, 1902.

Application filed October 16,1901. Serial No. 78,864. (No model.)

To to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIO CHARLES HOMER, a subject of the King of Great Brit: ain and Ireland, and a resident of Victor Villa, Stockton Brook, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Propulsion of Ships, (for which'I haveapplied for a complete patentin Great Britain,No. 20,154, bearing date November 9, 1900, which has been filed, but not yet sealed,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the sub: stitution of reciprocatory motion instead of rotary motion, as heretofore obtains with paddle and screws in the driving of ships and other vessels, and the construction of a propeller to effect said object.

In order that my invention may be clearly rendered, I have appended the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which-- 7 V Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the stern of a vessel, and Fig. 2 aplan view thereof.

Similar letters indicate like parts in both views.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide a pair of propeller-wings A A, pivoted at g to a plunger F, which may, when need be, either slide upon a plate or bar G or be carried in or by suitable guides. Said plunger F is fixed at f rigidly to the lower piston-rod C, while the upper piston-rod B passes and works freely above it. The upper rod B aforesaid carries two arms or links d d, freely pivoted to B at e and also to the two wings A A at h h. Both rods B and 0 may be connected in the ordinary manner to the pistons of two separate double-acting motive cylinders D and E, provided with suitable valves.

An arm H is rigidly mounted on the piston-rod C and loosely receives the piston-rod B through an aperture in its upper end. An adjustable stop I is mounted on the pistonrod B to be engaged by the arm H when the wings A A are fully extended.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, the inward stroke of the piston of cylinder E draws the plunger F forward by means of the piston-rod C, and as there is nothing to hold the wings A A apart. their motion through the water in this direction causes them to close, as here shown, and complete the forward stroke with practically no effect upon the surrounding water. In the, meantime the piston-rod B is drawn inward by its connection with the wings A A through links d d. On the beginning of the rearward stroke of the piston of cylinder E .the piston-rod 0 moves independent of piston-rod B, owing to the resistance of the water against the Wings, which causes said wings to open out until fully extended, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, when the arm I-I engages stop I'and forces rod B to move in unison with rod O and so drive the plunger forcibly to the rear with the wings fully extended, exerting a dead push on the water and propelling the vessel forward. At the end of the rearward stroke the parts are returned, as before described, and the operation repeated.

For reversing or backing the vessel the piston of cylinder D is operated instead of that of cylinder E, and then the operation is as follows: The parts being in the position of Fig. 1, the piston of cylinder D is forced inward, moving the rod B to the left and opening the wings AA, as the rod 0 remains immovable at this time, owing to the natural resistance of its connected parts or to an outward pressure on its piston, if found necessary. This independent movement of rod B continues until the wings are fully extended, when the stop I engages arrn H and draws rod 0 inward, giving the propeller a forward movement with the wings open, so as to force the water forward and drive the vessel rearward. On the beginning of the rearward stroke of the piston of cylinder D the rod B again moves alone, the rod 0 remaining immovable, as before, until the wings are closed, when they drag with them the plunger F and rod 0. As the wings have the resistance of these parts restraining. them at their inner ends and are connected with the links, by which they are forced rearward at their outer ends, they remain closed during the rearward stroke and only open on the forward movement of rod B, as before described, when the operation is repeated.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and ICC thereto and extendingover the plunger, a pair of links pivoted to the second-named pistonrod, one link being pivoted to the outer end of each wing, an arm rigidly mounted on the first-named piston-rod and slidable on the other piston-rod, and a stop onthe secondnamed piston-rod to be engaged by the arm. 2. Ina device of the character described, a cydinder, a piston-rod operated therefro'm,. a plunger mounted on the piston-rod, agn ide on which the plunger travels, a pair of wings hinged to the plunger, a second cylinder, a second piston-rod operated therefrom and located above and parallel to the first-named piston-rod with its end extending above the plunger, a pair of links pivoted to the end of the second-named piston-rod, each link being pivoted to the outer end of one of the Wings, an arm rigidly mounted on the first-named piston-rod and slidable on the other pistonrod, and an adjustable stop on the secondnamed piston-rod with which the arm is adapted to engage.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRED ERIC CHARLES HOMER.

\Vitnesses:

BENJ. THOS. KING, RoBT. HUNTER. 

